Smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially cylindrical rod-shaped structure and include a charge, roll, or column of smokable material, such as shredded tobacco, surrounded by a paper wrapper, to form a “cigarette rod,” “smokable rod,” or a “tobacco rod.” A typical cigarette has a cylindrical filter element axially aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, the filter element comprises plasticized cellulose acetate tow circumscribed by a paper material known as “plug wrap.” Certain cigarettes incorporate filter elements comprising, for example, activated charcoal particles. Typically, the filter element is attached to one end of the tobacco rod using a circumscribing wrapping material known as “tipping paper.” A ventilated or air-diluted smoking article can be provided with an optional air-dilution means, such as a series of perforations, each of which extend through the tipping material and plug wrap. Conventional automated machines for making cigarette rods that have been employed for the manufacture of commercially popular packaged cigarettes are of the type commercially available from Molins PLC or Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG. For example, a description of a commercially available “Protos” cigarette-making machine is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,190 to Brand. Other types of equipment suitable for the manufacture of cigarettes are set forth in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2004/0129281 to Hancock et al. A cigarette-making machine for making relatively small amounts of cigarettes has been available commercially as “Hauni Baby” from Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG. Another type of portable cigarette-making machine has been set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,229 to Hurt.
Cigarettes are commercially available in a wide variety of types. For example, different brands of cigarettes are available containing different individual types of tobaccos having unique or characteristic flavors and aromas (e.g., Burley, Oriental, and Virginia tobaccos). Cigarettes are also available that contain blends of tobacco types and/or flavoring agents in or on the tobacco. Different colors and flavors of wrappers and different types of filter elements are available providing variety in, for example, flavoring, strength of flavor, and tar yield. Conventionally, consumers obtain commercially available cigarettes in a pack containing a single type of cigarette. Thus, consumers wishing to smoke different types of cigarettes typically have to purchase multiple packs of cigarettes. Some consumers purchase wrapping materials, filters, and loose tobacco for so-called “hand-rolling” of their own cigarettes. While this approach allows a consumer to produce a variety of his own cigarettes, the making process requires a certain degree of skill, time, inconvenience, and/or some specialized equipment. A variety of hand-operated devices for manufacturing individual cigarettes have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,376,103 to Wahl; 2,425,888 to Matteson et al.; 2,427,884 to Snodgrass; 2,427,957 to Getts; 2,496,375 to Carter; 2,594,747 to DuLaney; 2,699,788 to Kastner; 2,714,383 to Ming Gee; 2,731,971 to Kastner; 2,850,019 to Sosa; 2,868,209 to Marcotte; 3,006,348 to Banning, Jr.; 3,011,498 to Armelin; 4,832,056 to Bryant et al.; and 4,534,367 to Newsome; PCT Application Pub. No. WO 2004/110187 to Szabo; and European Patent No. EP 1,177,731 to Tinkles et al.
Various methods for filling paper cigarette tubes with tobacco have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,633,133 to Higgins; 3,124,141 to Seitter; 3,202,156 to Kappeler et al.; 3,892,245 to Asbill, Jr.; 4,167,948 to Moscovitch; 4,572,216 to Josuttis et al.; and 5,072,740 to Gatschmann et al. See, also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,491,768 to Paynter and 3,693,313 to Sexstone which set forth manners and methods for manufacturing individual cigarettes by filling a tube, or “spill,” with a tobacco charge and a filter plug. One type of cigarette-making machine for the manufacture of one cigarette at a time using loose tobacco and a filtered cigarette tube has been marketed as “BUGLER™” filter cigarette-making machine by Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Another type of automated machine for filling pre-formed cigarette tubes with loose tobacco filler has been available commercially as “Cig-a-mat” from Jenkins & Ott, Inc. A device representative of such a machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,272 to Jenkins et al. Yet another type of automated device for filling pre-formed cigarette tubes with tobacco filler is an electrically-operated cigarette-making machine that has been available commercially as “Easy Roller” from C. P. Rolling ApS of Denmark.
Another cigarette machine for filling pre-formed cigarette tubes with tobacco filler has been produced commercially by The Central Tobacco Mfg. Co. Ltd. and marketed as “PREMIERE SUPERMATIC™.” Other types of cigarette machines for filling cigarette tubes with tobacco have been marketed as “Escort” and “Pressta Deluxe” by CTC Canada Inc. See, for example, the representative types of machines set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,127,900 to Kastner and U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,793 to Kastner.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,710 to Bramhill proposes manufacturing individual cigarettes by inserting a cartridge of tobacco into an empty filter-tip cigarette tube. Other manners and methods for manufacturing individual cigarettes are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,887,617 to Ruppert et al.; 5,018,536 to Liebich; 5,105,830 to Brackmann et al.; 5,133,366 to Liebich; 5,141,000 to Ruppert et al.; 5,167,248 to Ruppert et al.; 5,197,495 to Ruppert et al.; 5,615,692 to Ruppert et al.; and 5,713,377 to Gerding et al.; and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2006/0021625 to Nyffeler.
Other methods for manufacturing small quantities of cigarettes, for example 20 cigarettes, in an automated fashion by filling paper cigarette tubes are disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/143,889, filed Jun. 1, 2005, to Thomas et al., and Ser. No. 11/281,083, filed Nov. 17, 2005, to Barnes et al., each of which applications is incorporated herein by reference is its entirety. A representative device for manufacturing cigarettes disclosed in these applications can include a reservoir for containing loose tobacco filler, a means for delivering a portion of the tobacco filler into pre-formed tubular wrappers, and a means for controlling the portion of the tobacco filler delivered into the wrappers, such as a compression mechanism for arranging tobacco filler into a charge of tobacco filler of pre-determined shape and size or a means for controlling the rate of movement of the wrappers as they are being filled. The device can include a tray or cartridge for containing a plurality of the tubular wrappers, which can be aligned with corresponding receptacles, and an insertion means, such as plunger rods or auger conveyors, for delivering each charge of tobacco filler from a receptacle into a wrapper. The cartridge, filled with manufactured cigarettes, can be removed from the cigarette-making device, excess tobacco can be cut away from the ends of the cigarettes with a cutting device, and the cigarettes can be transferred from the cartridge into a cigarette packaging device. As such, a small lot of cigarettes of consistent quality (for example, in terms of components, dimensions, and weight) are produced. The device can be employed in a commercial setting such that a customer can choose a type or blend of tobacco filler for a package of cigarettes. For other manners and methods of manufacturing small quantities of cigarettes, see also co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/375,700, filed Mar. 14, 2006, to Thomas et al.
Yet other manners and methods for fabricating cigarettes have been proposed. For example, the manufacture of cigarettes has been proposed using a dispensing-type machine, such as the machine referred to as “Cigaretterie,” marketed by National Amusement Network, Inc. A device representative of such a machine is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,975 to Lord.
It would be desirable to provide for the manufacture of relatively small lots of cigarettes in an efficient and effective manner. It would be desirable that all of the cigarettes within each lot are of consistent quality. That is, it would be desirable that all of the cigarettes within such a lot be substantially identical to one another in appearance, size, shape, weight, and component materials, including tobacco filler materials. It also would be desirable that the cigarettes within such a lot exhibit similar performance characteristics, such as smoking character, puff count, and smoke yield. Alternatively, it may be desirable to efficiently and effectively manufacture simultaneously a plurality of cigarettes with different smoking characteristics (for example, flavors, tobacco types), all while maintaining consistent smoking quality of the cigarettes.